This invention relates to systemized food serving for institutional use in feeding large numbers of people during peak-feeding periods, for example in schools, industry, sports, hospitals, etc. Mass feeding of properly prepared and conditioned foods is a problem where the numbers of persons to be served is large and the time period therefor small. Furthermore, the preparation of "a la carte" serving requires refrigerated, ambient, and oven temperatures to be applied and maintained, there being "pre-dished", "pre-portioned", and pre-packaged foods that are to be conditioned for serving by this system which includes therein the Hot Cabinet of the present invention. Generally, the system involves a cooperative arrangement of sequentially continuing cabinets, including a refrigerated cabinet R, a frozen cabinet F, a merchandizing cabinet M, and the Hot Cabinet H hereinafter described and claimed. These cooperative cabinets are of identical height and width configuration and are abutted in end to end relationship for self-serving from both sides. Pre-packaged foods, at hot, cold or room temperature, transported from a commissary or central kitchen or the like are placed in the cabinets and brought to proper temperature for serving. For example, students serve themselves from lines at both sides of the cabinets, effecting speed and volume handling, and each cabinet arrangement must serve approximately 450 students in about 15 minutes without reloading, the system arrangement shown herein having this capacity. Thus, capacity requirements can be predicted with accuracy according to the daily attendance and number of serving periods. The system is completely mobile so as to be set up and/or dismantled or stored with minimum effort, and requires no plumbing or venting, etc. The only requirement is the input of electrical power, and that is minimized by the combined convection, conduction, and recirculation of air with minimum loss. Pilfering and contamination is prevented by systemized covers and sneeze guards that are secured in operative position by common lock bar anchors, and all of which ensures profitable food distribution under sanitary conditions. The Hot Cabinet H includes all of these features.
It is an object of this invention to provide rapid serving of foods in three general categories; namely, refrigerated, frozen and hot pre-packaged foods. The service lines for this purpose must be adapted to varied situations and circumstances, and varied in configuration according to demand as related to the ratio and quantities of the aforementioned categories of foods to be served. For example on cold days an abundance of hot foods is preferred, in which case the service lines are augmented by additional Hot Cabinets, each of which is self-sufficient as are the cooperatively arranged refrigerated cabinets R, frozen cabinets F and merchandising cabinets M. With the present invention, these cooperative cabinets are of identical height and width configuration and are all "bin type" cabinets adapted to carry trays of pre-packaged foods. Practicality of this system resides in the mobility of the individual cabinets which are on casters or wheeled supports, whereby the service line can be quickly erected, modified or broken down for storage, and all the while each unit or cabinet can remain in operation.
The bin type Hot Cabinet of the present invention is essentially an oven capable of bringing prepackaged foods to serving temperature and/or maintaining them at a serving temperature. As is well known, heat tends to rise, especially within the confines of the corners of such cabinets, and it is to this end that I have discovered means to efficiently operate such bin type cabinets substantially without the loss of heat, by the combined utilization of convection, conduction, and recirculation principles applied to optimum advantage. With the present invention, a food well is completely surrounded by a plenum distributing heated air that is recirculated by a blower means drawing from corners of the well and delivering said air through heater means that discharges hot air into said plenum.